Scooter’s 1739th bar, first visited in 2023.

We walked in to a jubilant crowd, and as free pudding shots were placed in our hands (they were handing them out to everyone) a voice rang out “It’s Cari with a C!” We looked over and saw the “Kari with a K” birthday party group from The Basket Case last night — minus Kari. They took a picture of us to send to her as proof.

This place used to be a neighborhood grocery store. I don’t know when it was concerted into a bar but it has been the Tartan Inn since at leas 1990. The current owners took over in 2017 or 2019 (I forgot which), and were now celebrating the recent purchase of the entire building as opposed to just the business.

I would not go as far as to call this an LGBTQ bar because the clientele seemed far more diverse, but the décor and welcoming attitudes show it’s definitely LGBTQ-friendly.

Outside is a courtyard with covered and open-air tables, and a separate building labeled “doobie den” that we didn’t investigate so I don’t know if that’s really is or not.

This was our favorite bar of the trip and one of my top favorite bars ever.

I had a pudding shot and a Santa’s Private Reserve (2023 stout) by Rogue Ales.

The Googly Eyes Bandit strikes again!

428 N Waverly Ave,
West Peoria, IL 61604
US
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+13099662444
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Scooter’s 1738th bar, first visited in 2023.

The oldest continuously-operating bar in West Peoria, eons ago it was believed to be the garage for the house on the other side of what is now the patio. But it has also been an ice house and a barber shop. It was converted into a neighborhood bar in 1933 and quickly became West Peoria’s largest customer for Budweiser. For decades is operated as a stag bar, but today all are welcome.

I had Guinness, and we all gathered in the game room to play slots while the rest of the bar cheered on a football game us visitors had no stake in and didn’t care about. This was where I learned that there are so-called “penny slots” that have a 50-credit minimum bet. Excuse me, casino gaming manufacturers, but if the minimum bet is 50 cents that’s not a penny slot.

626 N Cedar Ave
West Peoria, IL 61604
US
[launch map]
+13096741860
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